Ghost Story
by SSA Javier Grey P.I
Summary: "So that's basically the story. And a story that is every bit true." How come Kurama knows so much about their city's little urban legends? Maybe because he investigated them himself? Or maybe with a little help? Sad little fic with mentions of Maya.


**Author's Ramble: Hey again madla! Love Maya and Shuichi too much, so here's another little fic about them. Please enjoy and please don't hate Maya-chan. She is Kurama's first love you know?**

**Summary: "So that's basically the story. And a story that is every bit true." How come Kurama knows so much about their city's little urban legends? Maybe because he investigated them himself? Or maybe with a little help?**

**Disclaimer: If **_**Yu Yu Hakusho **_**was mine, everyone would've found out about Kitajima Maya by now and Kurama would be redder than his pretty red head.**

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The sky seemed more like a watercolor painting, blotted with blurry watermarks of purple, pink and yellow. High-rise buildings of multiple shapes, sizes and purposes silhouetted the backgrounded, tiny spots of light illuminating their dark exteriors. It was a dark, picturesque setting, the sort of scene written as a perfect end to a perfect day.

But the bathroom still looked as scary as hell.

"Come on Kuwabara! Stop being such a wuss! I know you can't help it but we're on a time limit!"

"Shut up Urameshi! I'm just a bit jittery is all!"

The _jaganshi_ shrouded in a cloak as dark as the approaching twilight, sighed heavily, focus kept on _not _brandishing his _katana _to their heads like a magic wand, casting a spell of peace and a reassurance that his sanity would remain intact.

Urameshi Yuusuke, Spirit Detective, trudged to Kuwabara Kazuma like a troll too annoyed and pissed to go through the usual _fi, fie, fo, fum _motions.

"How do you stand this?" Hiei grumbled to a much taller, compared to him, and much calmer, compared to the two idiots brawling it out near the restroom, teen giggling next to him.

"It's fun. And they are our friends Hiei." Kurama, known to the world as Minamino Shuichi, smiled at his little friend. Crimson locks played over and around his pretty boy face, tossed and styled by the wind. Green eyes, as alive and glowing as the life their bearer conjures, sparkled with mirth and playfulness, like a priceless emerald shines when struck with sunbeams or moonlight.

"'_Fun_'? More like annoying. And friends? You and I, I still might consider, if friends weren't another crutch for the weak, but those two?" Hiei mocked, scarlet gaze riveting from the Detective and the Idiot screaming at each other like an old married couple, according to one of Kurama's books, to the Fox, showing off that know-it-all, smart aleck smirk of his.

The redhead _kitsune_ paid Hiei no mind, continuing to smile. That was as close as any of them was going to get to the _jaganshi_ admitting that he actually cares for them. But even without an outright or even indirect confession, it was evident in the tinge of amusement in Hiei's cold smirk and the flash of well-meaning concern in his blood-red eyes. Still, it was nice for Hiei to let him know, and Kurama felt a bit better knowing he was held on a slightly higher pedestal.

"Look Kuwabara, we're used to you being a ninny but even I don't think you can get yourself killed spending two, three minutes to tinkle." The raven-haired detective relented, wanting to get this mission over with.

Koenma, great and powerful ruler of the Spirit World, sent the little team to retrieve some sort of package of utmost importance. But what, the little prince would not say.

And now here was the _Reikai Tantei_, stalled in the middle of the local park, waiting for the resident human to answer an urgent call of Nature.

"But why does it have to be this one Urameshi?" Kuwabara whined, running in place to keep the Niagara Falls in.

"Why does it have to be anywhere else? You can go in the forest. No one here'll tell on you. Except maybe Kurama, since you know..." Yuusuke offered. He was supposed to be in bed, fast asleep, if it weren't for Pacifier Breath. Detective work is _not _the most relaxing job in the world, mind you.

But before the plant master could object to such an atrocity, Kuwabara did it for him.

"No way Urameshi, that's gross!" Kuwabara screamed in disgust.

"Why are you so skittish about using this particular restroom Kuwabara?" Kurama worried, after relief washed over him.

"You don't know the story Kurama?" Kuwabara paled, putting his large, bear-like hands to his mouth as if he had spoken the name of the devil.

Yuusuke was so close to blowing a fuse, blowing his top, hell whatever expression you got, he was ready to explode, when he heard a chuckle.

Then a giggle.

Then a full-blown laugh.

Kurama, the ever-calm. ever-cool tactician, leaned heavily against a nearby brick wall, bubbles and hiccups of laughter popping out of his pink lips.

The boys looked in surprise at their friend. When amused or in the mood for mischief, his eyes would shine with playful mirth, lips tipped in the slightest attempt of a tease. When in the grip of laughter, he would bite his rosy lips or his calloused thumb in an attempt to cap it. This was the most free expression the strategist has ever shown.

"I'm truly sorry Kuwabara but all of this was because of that little horror story?" Kurama apologized between giggles.

"It's not funny Kurama! It's true!" Kuwabara justified, for the moment forgetting Mother Nature knocking on his bladder.

"Would you mind explaining what new buffoonery is this?" Hiei interjected, partly annoyed, partly confused, and partly just feeling left out.

"It's the story of the..." Kuwabara discontinued, frightened that even speaking the name of the legend would bring its wrath upon them.

"Children we don't have time for storytime. I want to get to bed." Yuusuke said impatiently, barely restraining the urgent need to shut Kuwabara up with a right hook.

"It's just a small tale surrounding this bathroom Hiei." Kurama began, ignoring the detective and back to his composed self. "They say that a long time ago, before this park was built, before even this city was built, a large, deep forest resided here."

"During that time, a beautiful pond laid in the very middle and, along its ridges, an equally beautiful girl. They say that she was so beautiful, no words could describe nor comprehend, so no words were ever used to try."

"But a fierce monster guarded her. She was trapped in that forest with no way out. Many have tried to find her but were either thwarted by the beast or by the forest itself, a labyrinth forged in greenery."

"It would have been nice to believe that one man miraculously saved her and lived happily ever after but alas it was not to be. The girl never got out, was forced to live out her days in anguish and torture with the beast, all alone."

"And yet many travellers, in their conquests, brought books, fairytales, to keep them company in their search, and when they had fallen, they left their books behind. Books which the girl found. Her head filled with hopes and dreams that she would be free one day, rescued by some prince, she kept waiting, though in vain. And even in death, she never lost hope."

"So until this day, in this very park where her pond was, her soul waits. Yearning for the love that was never meant to be, the rescue that never came."

"So that's basically the story." Kurama ended, turning towards Hiei.

Turning to Kuwabara, he smiled. "And a story that is every bit true."

The boys were a bit dumbfounded. It was natural that Kurama would know everything about everything yet it was still a bit..._ mesmerizing_.

"So the reason this Idiot won't just go and do his business already is because of that silly little ghost story?" Hiei scowled.

"Well it's still a scary story! And Kurama says it's true!" Kuwabara justified once more, remembering why they were having this discussion when Mother Nature banged instead of rapped.

"_We've been through a hell of a lot worse! Now stop being a baby and get in there!_" Yuusuke had had enough. Tired, he wanted to get this done as he pushed the orange-haired oaf inside, holding the door close.

"_Urameshi!_" Kuwabara screamed.

"I feel a bit guilty, telling him that that story is true then letting him in there." Kurama gave a small smile.

"Don't bother Kurama. He needs to stop acting like a child and grow up." Hiei scoffed, glaring at the shaking bathroom door.

"So Kurama about that story..." Yuusuke began, hand still firmly against the door which opened outward.

"I've heard it a lot before, pretty sure every kid's heard it before. But I just got to know... How do you know it's real? I mean the girl, and that her spirit's still here?"

"How do you know I didn't say it only to scare Kuwabara?" Kurama smiled, smaller and a bit more wary.

"Because we know you aren't like that." Hiei answered for the him.

Kurama looked off to the side, the sun still setting even when he was sure it should've gone down ages ago, as if reminding him of that day, right here, with her.

"_I'm done Urameshi! Now get me out!_"

Yuusuke tore his chocolatey stare from Kurama and open the door.

And Kuwabara came rushing out, head first like a comical cartoon stunt where the trapped gets a running start, prepared to headbutt the door, only for it to be opened at the last second. Kuwabara rushed deep into the woods, not stopping, not noticing, as the sun slowly dropped.

"I'll get him." Kurama offered, tearing his own jade look from the sun to run after their friend.

After Kurama sprinted off, Yuusuke had a few more things to say.

"Hey Hiei."

"_Hn_."

"They say that a few years back, two middleschool kids, a girl and a boy, came here to find out if that story was real or not."

"And?"

"And I wanted to know who was the other girl. And why isn't she here anymore."

The sun gave her stage to the moon, and Kurama came back with Kuwabara leaning on his back.

_It was better before Fox. At least she was pretty.  
_

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**Author's Ramble: A bit sad I guess. I just thought that since Maya had such an affinity for the supernatural, then surely she would've been into paranormal investigations and ghost hunting. And of course she would've made Shuichi tag along.**


End file.
